ComEd submits new performance metrics proposal with eight adjustments for Illinois clean energy law

After incorporating feedback from public workshops, ComEd last week proposed a new series of metrics to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) the company said would help it better support the state’s new clean energy law laying the groundwork for 100 percent clean energy. 

In all, it proposed eight performance metrics: 

• System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI): a reliability and resiliency metric to measure the frequency and duration of power outages annually.
• Customers Exceeding Minimum Service Levels: a reliability and resiliency metric that focuses on the number of customers who experience recurring interruptions or long-duration interruptions for multiple years.
• System Visibility Index: a reliability and resiliency metric that addresses ComEd’s ability to rapidly identify momentary interruptions, voltage fluctuations, and similar events across the entire ComEd power grid.
• Load Reduction Capability: a measure of the ability of utility sponsored and supported activities that reduce peak load and help cut the generation capacity the region requires.
• Arrearages: an affordability metric based on the percentage of residential customers with past due balances greater than 90 days.
• Interconnection Timeliness: a measure of ComEd’s responsiveness to customer requests to connect their clean energy resources such as solar panels to the electric distribution grid.
• First Contact Resolution: a customer service metric that measures the percentage of customers whose issues are resolved the first time they contact ComEd.
• Percentage of Spend with Diversity-Certified Suppliers: a supplier diversity metric that tracks how much ComEd spends with suppliers and subcontractor businesses owned by people of color, women, or veterans.

ComEd also submitted 11 tracking metrics for emissions reductions, grid flexibility, cost savings, diversity, and equity, to aid monitoring and reporting of utility performance. It proposed these as helpful to the development of future performance metrics, and for accountability, the ICC will evaluate ComEd’s coming performance against approved metrics. 

“ComEd takes great pride in being a national leader in reliably and affordably delivering clean energy to customers, and these metrics encourage the high levels of service that our customers expect and all communities deserve,” Terence Donnelly, ComEd president and COO, said. “The metrics support the state’s new clean energy law, as they focus on equitably building a resilient power grid that can withstand more extreme weather caused by climate change, support the growth of clean energy innovations such as solar panels and electric vehicles, and balance the need to keep customers’ electric bills affordable.”

Any approved metrics would apply in the case of filing for a multi-year rate plan in the future.